The present invention relates to a connector assembly having a mating assistance mechanism using a lever or a slider for mating two connectors with each other, and more particularly to a connector assembly having a detection mechanism operable to accurately detect a mating state of two connectors.
For example, a connector assembly having a detection mechanism operable to detect a mating state of two connectors is disclosed in JP-B 3666087 (Patent Document 1), JP-B 3284200 (Patent Document 2), and JP-A 2008-108467 (Patent Document 3). The connector assembly has a mating maintenance mechanism operable to maintain the mating state of the two connectors. The mating maintenance mechanism includes an engagement portion and a lock arm (elastic support) provided on one of the connectors and a stopper provided on the other connector. When the connectors are mated with each other, the lock arm is momentarily bent and then returned to the original state. At that time, the engagement portion engages with the stopper, so that the mating state of the connectors is maintained. The detection mechanism includes two terminals and a short-circuit member for developing a short circuit between the two terminals. The two terminals are provided on the connector that includes the stopper. The short-circuit member is provided on the lock arm near the engagement portion. When the connectors are mated with each other, the lock arm is momentarily bent and then returned to the original state. At that time, the short-circuit member develops a short circuit between the two terminals, so that a mating state of the connector is detected. However, this connector assembly has no function of wiping contacting portions between the terminals and the short-circuit member. Accordingly, a contact failure may arise due to the contamination of the terminals or the like.
In contrast, JP-B 3596702 (Patent Document 4) and JP-A 8-241761 (Patent Document 5) disclose a connector assembly with a detection mechanism having a wiping function. In either case, the connector assembly has a short-circuit member provided near an engagement portion of a lock arm, and the short-circuit member is brought into contact with terminals in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the engagement portion supported by the lock arm moves. For example, in a case where the engagement portion moves on the vertical plane parallel to a mating direction, the short-circuit member is brought into contact with the terminals in the horizontal direction. In the connector assembly disclosed in Patent Documents 4 and 5, the width of the short-circuit member in the horizontal direction is set to be greater than the distance between the terminals in the horizontal direction. Thus, when two connectors are mated with each other, the wide short-circuit member is inserted into a narrow space defined between the terminals. Accordingly, the terminals are wiped by the friction produced between the short-circuit member and the terminals.
As in the connector assembly of Patent Document 4 or 5, a considerable insertion force is required to insert a relatively wide short-circuit member into a relatively narrow space between terminals. This insertion force employs a restoring force of the lock arm. When the connector assembly is reduced in size and height, the restoring force of the lock arm may also be reduced. If the restoring force of the lock arm is reduced, it may be impossible to press (or insert) the short-circuit member between the terminals. In such a case, movement of the engagement portion is inhibited, so that the mating maintenance mechanism does not work.